Particulate material distributing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A DISTRIBUTOR FOR DRY PARTICULATE MATERIAL COMPRISES A BODY HAVING AN INLET CHANNEL AND A PLURALITY OF OUTLET CHANNELS COMMUNICATING THEREWITH. THE BODY AS A DEFLECTOR MEMBER POSITIONED ADJACENT THE JUNCTURE ANDMEANS IS PROVIDED IN EACH OUTLET CHANNEL TO DELIVER GAS THERETO IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE JUNCTURE TO CARRY THE MATERIAL OUTWARDLY. APARATUS FOR DELIVERING TE PARTICULATE MATERIAL COMPRISES A CONTAINER FOR THE MATERIAL CONNECTED TO THE DISTRIBUTOR, A PLURALITY OF DELIVERY CONDUTIS CONNECTED TO THE OUTLETS OF THE DISTRIBUTOR, AND GAS PRESSURE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE GAS SUPPLY MEANS.

12,1971@ A ,EHEMA am y 3,554,607

PARTICULATE'MATERIAL DISTRIBUTING APPARTUS l y. Filed oct. 23. 1968 4" uff/'m 24 46 ANDREW HERMA/v, dAMEs L, /fEAm/fr @Y @Mww United States Patent O 3,554,607 PAR'I'ICULATE MATERIAL DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Andrew E. Herman, Rockville, and James L. Kearney,

Glastonbury, Conn., assignors to Jetair, Inc., East Hartford, IConn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Oct. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 770,051 Int. Cl. B65g 53/04 U.S. Cl. 302--28 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A distributor for dry particulate material comprises a body having an inlet channel and a plurality of outlet channels communicating therewith. The body has a deflector member positioned adjacent the juncture and means is provided in each outlet channel to deliver gas thereto in a direction away from the juncture to carry the material outwardly. Apparatus for delivering the particulate material comprises a container for the material connected to the distributor, a plurality of delivery conduits connected to the outlets of the distributor, and gas pressure means connected to the gas supply means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is at the present time =a signicant need for apparatus capable of delivering steady streams of dry particulate material from a common source to one or more spaced locations. One particularly significant application for such apparatus exists with respect to the removal of the carbonaceous deposits which tend to build up on the surfaces of hydrocarbon fuel-burning power plants, e.g., jet engines. Conventionally, to clean such engines there are introduced thereinto particulated lignocellulose materials such as shells and pits of walnuts, pecans, coconuts, olives, apricots, and the like, ground to about -40 mesh. This material is brought into contact with the surface of the metal to provide an abrading or impacting action by suita'ble means for effective agitation. The means employed for their introduction into the engine are not entirely satisfactory; most often the shells or pits are simply shovelled int-o the engine or introduced in a similar rudimentary manner requiring that unduly large amounts of time and eifort be expended; Moreover, such techniques result in very uneven ow rates and do not allow mtroduction of the material at selected locations. For example, it is desir-able to introduce the cleaning medium into a jet engine as two steady streams at the 3 oclock and the 9 oclock positions of the axisv thereof, but so far as 1s known there is no presently available equipment which permits operation in such a manner.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel distributor for transporting substantially equal quantities of dry particulate material in a steady ilow from a common supply, which distributor is durable, relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also an object to provide such a distributor which does not involve highly critical dimensions or relationships between the parts, and in which no moving parts are involved.

Another object is to provide apparatus for conveying particulate material in a plurality of substantially equal streams from a common source to one or more spaced locations and which is relatively simple in design and economical to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a plan View of a distributor embodying the present invention;

3,554,607 Patented Jan. 12, 1971 ICC FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the distributor of FIG. 1 along line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a partially diagrammatical view of apparatus elrlnbodying the invention and incorporating the distributor t ereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects can be readily attained in a distributor for dry particulate material which comprises a body having an inlet channel opening at one point on said body yand having its other end terminating therein and a plurality of outlet channels communicating with the inlet channel adjacent the interior terminus thereof and opening at points on said body spaced from said inlet channel opening. A deector mem-ber is positioned adjacent the juncture between the inlet and outlet channels adjacent the terminus of the inlet channel to distribute among the outlet channels material delivered through the inlet channel and impinging upon the deflector member. Opening in each of the outlet channels, gas supply means is provided to deliver gas in a direction away from the juncture so as to facilitate movement of material distributed into the outlet channels by the deiiector member outwardly thereof.

Preferably the defiector member is conical and positioned coaxially with the inlet channel with its apex disposed toward the opening thereof. In addition, the gas delivery means preferably includes a nozzle in each of the outlet channels which is directed toward the outside terminus thereof, and most desir-ably the orifice of the nozzle is positioned substantially coaxially in the channel. It is also most desirable that the distributor have only two outlet channels which have their longitudinal axes aligned and extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inlet channel.

Certain objects of the invention are also yattained by coupling the distributor with other components of a delivery apparatus including a container for the dry particulate material having an opening for loading the particulate material and an outlet with a conduit extending therefrom to the distributor inlet channel. Delivery conduits are connected to each outlet channel of the distributor, and gas pressure means is connected to the gas supply means of the distributor to supply gas thereto under pressure. Preferably the container has a gas-tight cover and the gas pressure means is also connected to the container to Irender it pressurizable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Turning rst in detail to FIGS. 1-3 of the attached drawing, -a distributor embodying the present invention is illustrated as having a body 10 Iwith an inlet channel 12 and a pair of outlet channels 14. The outlet channels 14 communicate and form a juncture with the channel 12 at the inside terminus thereof; their longitudinal axes are aligned and extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inlet channel 12 so that lthey open at points on the body spaced from the opening of the inlet channel 12. A conically shaped deector 16 is positioned at the juncture of the channels 12, 14, in a seat 17 provided in the body 10 therefor, and its axis is coaxial with the channel 12 with its apex directed toward the inlet opening thereof. A forked gas conduit 18 is formed within the body 10 and provides two leg portions 20 which are each connected to a nozzle 22 With its orifice positioned generally coaxially in its respective outlet channel 14. The body 10 is configured to provide a shoulder portion 24 about the outlet channels 14 adjacent the outside terminus thereof for seating conduit elements 46 (seen in FIG. 4).

In operation, the inlet channel 12 is connected to a suitable source of dry particulate material (such as the container 26 in FIG. 4) from which the material is conveyed through the channel 12 against the defiector 16, causing it to be diverted in substantially equal amounts into each of the outlet channels 14. The gas conduit 18 is attached to gas supply means and gas under pressure is thereby delivered through each of the gas line leg portions 20 and nozzles 22 into the outlet conduits 14 in which the nozzles 22 are positioned to facilitate movement of the particulate material through the conduits 14.

Referring now to FIG. 4, apparatus for delivering the particulate material is shown incorporating the distributor described in detail in the preceding figures. The distributor is mounted beneath container 26 for the material, which is connected to the inlet channel 12 of the body 10 through the container conduit 28, a valve 30 being provided between the container 26 and conduit 28 to control the fiow of material into the distributor. The container 26 has a loading inlet 32 which is threaded to seat disengageably a suitable cover 34 so that it can be sealed and pressurized. Gas under pressure is furnished from a source (not shown) through conduit 36, one branch of which leads to pressure regulator valve 38 and through conduit 40 into the container 26, and the other branch of which conveys gas through the regulator valve 42 and through conduit 44 into the forked gas conduit 18 in the body 10 of the distributor. A pair of flexible hoses or conduits 46, are fitted onto the shoulders 24 on the body 10 and serve to convey streams of the particulate material to locations spaced from the distributor depending upon the length and configuration thereof.

To use the apparatus described, the cover 34 is removed so that the desired material may be loaded into the container 26; the cover is then replaced and the valves 38, 42 are opened to allow gas to flow into the container 26 and the distributor, respectively. When the valve 30 is opened the pressure existing in the container forces the material through the passageway 28 and into the distributor, and the gas from conduit 44 propels the material through the distributor body and out the delivery hoses 46 in substantially equal amounts.

The outside configuration of the distributor may vary widely so long as it permits mounting or placement in a suitable position relative to the container for the particulate material. In addition, various types of auxiliary elements, such as brackets and the like, may be provided on the distributor body to facilitate attachment to the container or to another part of the apparatus.

Although the body may be cast with the several channels, the interior will normally be machined to provide the necessary inlet and outlet channels and the gas delivery conduits, each of which will normally have a circular cross section. In the illustrated embodiment only two outlet channels are shown, however, it should be understood that the present invention contemplates the provision of more than two outlet channels through which the particulate material may pass outwardly. In addition, the outlet channels are illustrated with their longitudinal axes aligned and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inlet channel; although this is the preferred relationship, it should be appreciated that the angles between the longitudinal axes of the various channels may vary. For example, the outlet channels may be formed at an obtuse angle to the inlet channel so that they are directed downwardly as well as outwardly therefrom. Regardless of the number of outlet channels, for optimum operation they should be equidistantly spaced about the periphery of the body for the most uniform rates of material delivery; however, this is not essential and may not be desired when the configuration of the parts requires differing amounts of material.

As is illustrated, the defiector member is positioned at the juncture which is formed between the outlet channels and the inside terminus of the inlet channel, and most desirably it is positioned so that it bisects the inlet channel to facilitate distribution of the material therefrom in substantially equal quantities. The conical shape is preferred because it provides uniform distribution of the material regardles of the configuration of the several channels and regardless of the number of outlet channels provided, and it also helps to render the placement of the member relative to the channels less critical. However, depending upon the number of channels employed, the configuration of the defiector member may vary from that illustrated. For example, when there are only two outlet channels the deflector member may comprise a ridge or knife-edge positioned adjacent the inside terminus of the inlet channel and equidistantly spaced between the outlet channels. It should also be appreciated that other configurations may be ernployed such as a member having a pyramidal configuration. The defiector member may be seated in a receptacle or seat, such as that illustrated, or a threaded aperture or other means such as pins, screws, etc., may be used to secure the defiector in position.

As regards the conduit for the gas into the distributor, it is necessary to provide a number of leg portions equal to the number of outlet conduits involved so that the gas may be conveyed to each of them. The leg portions of the gas conduit may simply be passageways which terminate at the side of the outlet channels and form an angle therewith so that the gas is directed outwardly with respect to the juncture. Preferably, however, a nozzle connected to the gas supply conduit is provided Within each outlet channel, and most desirably the nozzle has its outlet orifice coaxially disposed therein to direct the gas along the axis thereof, since this facilitates delivery of the particulate material at a relatively constant rate from each outlet channel. The relative size of the nozzle and the outlet channel will depend somewhat upon the pressures available for conveying the material, but normally the nozzle will be fairly small in cross section so as not to unduly obstruct the passage of material through the channel. It may be secured in the gas channel by any suitable means, such as by a threaded or frictional engagement, or by use of a metallic bonding technique.

The various parts of the apparatus may vary considerably, and many modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Although the container is most desirably design for pressurization since the particulate material is most uniformly and efficiently conveyed under gas pressure and the number of moving parts is thereby minimized, mechanical pumps may be used for conveying the material into the distributor. The apparatus is desirably fitted with valves and the like, both for pressure control and also to regulate the flow of particulate material to the distributor, and the valves desirably have solenoids or similar devices associated with them for automatic and/or remote operation. To ensure the purity of the gas delivered into the container and the distributor, suitable filters may be provided in the gas line, and to avoid clogging in the apparatus a filter screen may be furnished within the container to eliminate large pieces of material which may inadvertently be introduced thereinto. The delivery conduits from the distributor may vary considerably, but as a practical matter flexible hoses of rubber, synthetic plastic or wire reinforced fabric serve admirably. As an additional practical consideration the apparatus may be mounted on wheels so that it can be moved to various locations so as to expedite the servicing of a number of jet engines.

The body of the distributor may be fabricated of any suitable material including synthetic resins such as the phenolformaldehydes and the like, but preferably a metal such as aluminum or steel is employed to achieve a beneficial balance of economy and durability. Since in operation the deflector member is continuously subjected to the abrasive action of the particulate material impinging upon it, it should be made of a particularly hard and durable material, stainless steel being well suited for that purpose. The nozzles, when employed, may be of the same composition as the body, but they are conveniently fabricated of copper or aluminum tubing.

Illustrative of the ecacy of the present invention is the following specific example.

lEXAMPLE. 1

A distributor conforming in all respects to the design illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 was fabricated and employed in apparatus of the type shown in FIG. 4. The device was about 8 inches long (i.e., its dimension along the axis defined by the two outlet channels), about 3 inches high (i.e., the dimension along the inlet channel axis) and about 2.5 inches deep. The channels each measured about 1 inch in diameter and the forked gas conduit had a diameter of about 0.25 inch. The inside diameter of the nozzles was approximately the same as that of the gas conduit, and they extended in the outlet channels to a point just short of the ends of the distributor block from a point spaced about 1.5 inch therefrom.

The deector member was conical in shape, about 0.7 inch in diameter and about 0.6 inch in effective height (i.e., the distance extending beyond the surface of the body in which it is seated); it had a slope of about 60 from horizontal, at the apex. The body of the distributor was fabricated of aluminum, the nozzles were made of copper, and a relatively hard and durable grade of stainless steel was used for the conical deflector.

The distributor described was mounted beneath a container with a capacity of about 500 pounds 'of shells, with the outlet passageway thereof connected to the inlet channel of the distributor. The container had an air line leading into it and was fitted with an air-tight cover for pressurization. The air line into the container was situated so that the air was introduced as a stream against the side thereof to induce a swirling effect in the shells. Another gas line was connected to the distributor, and both air lines were metered through valves to allow regulation of the pressure in the vessel and in the distributor outlet channels.

After it was loaded with walnut shells and the cover replaced, the container was pressurized to about 4-5 p.s.i.g. Then the distributor pressure valve and the valve provided in the passageway between the container and distributor were opened so that the shells could enter the distributor and be conveyed therefrom at a pressure of about 60 p.s.i.

The delivery hoses were positioned with a foot vertical distance between them during operation of the apparatus, and the rates of delivery and the operating characteristics were noted. The shells were dispensed at a very steady rate of about 5 pounds per minute from each hose, and after about 500 pounds thereof were discharged the difference in the amount dispensed from each hose was found to be about 1 pound. v

Accordingly, it can be seen that the presentlinvention provides a novel distributor for transporting substantially equal quantities of dry particulate material from a common supply. The distributor is durable, relatively simple, and inexpensive to manufacture; it does not require highly critical dimensions or relationships between its parts and moving parts are not required. Apparatus for conveying particulate material in a plurality of substantially equal streams from a common source to a remote location is also provided, and the apparatus is relatively simple in design and economical to manufacture. Although the use of the apparatus in power plant cleaning operations has been stressed herein, it should be appreciated that the invention is not so limited and that the distributor and apparatus may be useful in many other applications wherein distribution of dry particulate material is necessary.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. Apparatus for delivering a plurality of substantially equal streams of dry particulate material comprising: a container having an opening for loading the particulate material, and an outlet; a distributor having a body with an inlet channel opening at one point on said body and terminating therein, a plurality of outlet channels communicating with said inlet channel adjacent the interior terminus thereof and opening at points on said body spaced from said inlet channel opening, a generally conical deilector member of a relatively hard, durable material positioned coaxially with said inlet channel adjacent the juncture between said inlet and outlet channels adjacent said terminus, and having a pointed apex disposed toward said inlet channel opening to distribute among said outlet channels material delivered through said inlet channel, and gas supply means opening in each of said outlet channels to deliver gas thereinto in a direction away from said juncture to facilitate movement of material distributed into said outlet channels by said detlector member outwardly thereof, said gas supply means comprising a nozzle positioned outwardly of said deflector member in each of said outlet channels with its outlet substantially coaxial therewith and directed toward the outer terminus thereof, and a forked gas conduit having an inlet leg and a plurality of similar outlet legs, each of which is connected to one of said nozzles; conduit means between said container outlet and said distributor inlet channel; delivery conduits connected to each of said outlet channels of said distributor; and gas pressure means connected to said inlet leg of said forked gas conduit to supply gas under pressure to each of said nozzles at substantially the same volumetric rate, and thereby to propel material from said distributor outlet channels through said delivery conduits in substantially equal quantities.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said container has a substantially gas-tight cover'disengageably secured over said opening, and wherein said gas pressure means is also connected to said container to supply gas thereto under pressure to render said container pressurizable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said distributor has only two outlet channels, and wherein said outlet channels have their longitudinal axes aligned and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inlet channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said deiector member is a separate element seated within said body, wherein said forked gas conduit is defined within said body, and wherein said body is fabricated of a material that is softer and less durable than that of said dellector member.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 559,007 4/ 1896 Tirmann 302-57 704,784 7/ 1902 Dolan 302-57 1,309,671 7/1919 Weaver 302-53 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 302-57 

